When Joy and Wendy had their first date, it truly a tale of two different lives. One Wendy’s end Seulgi and Irene were busy trying to hype her up. Telling her she was amazing. Giving her y, but classy clothing. Telling her how much a catch she was. Telling her, “no. No. Don’t be nervous. You’re a boss”.  

Meanwhile, over on Joy’s side she was either being insulted, hyped up, or just plain out told to get laid. “No, cuz. More cleavage.” Joy had stared down at the v-neck. More cleavage? And then her mother came in, “mijita. Is this girl rich? She have money? You need to be with a rich woman, so you can relax in life.” Joy chose to ignore that. 

“Honestly Joy. You look good in your jean jacket. Just throw that on. You’re a beast”, Katy piped up. Eating Joy’s cookies and leaving crumbs all over the bed. 

“Cuz listen”, Joy rolled her eyes as her cousin Migna spoke. “You should wear that tight dress you wore for yetandra’s baby shower.”

“You want me to wear a tight, purple bedazzled dress? Que tè jode (hoe-de) por favor”. 

Migna rolled her eyes turning to Katy, “puta madre”. 

“I don’t know what that means bro”.

“She called me a mother er.”

The ride to the date was also very different for the two women. 

Wendy sang along to top hits of the time, her and Seulgi being self proclaimed beliebers. “THAT SHOULD BE MEEEEE” they belted, while Irene grimaced, driving the car to the date destination. 

“And I said BABY BABY OHHHH BABY BABY BABY NOOOO”

On Joy’s side, “what do you mean you won’t take me?” Asked her cousin. 

“I can’t take you. I’m going with Luisa to a Fetty Wap concert”. 

“A Fetty What? Què Fetty wap. ! It’s my car!”

“You said I could borrow it!”

“If you took me to my date cabrón!” Katy sat behind both cousins. She knew she had come over for a reason. The Garcia family never fails to disappoint. Katy picked at her nails, waiting for Joy to turn to her and ask for a ride. Per usual, time did not disappoint when Joy turned to her. “Can you give me a ride?”

Katy grinned. “Can I ever! Absolutely my favorite Latin friend. Follow me!” 

Joy hadn’t expected what she saw. She looked to the sky’s. Why? Why me? She asked. “Katy. What’s this?”

“My Mo-Ped!”

“A scooter?”

“Yes!” Katy squealed. 

“And who’s face is that plastered all over it?”

“Ah! He’s a Korean singer. His name is Taemin. Not usually my type. But I’ll allow it.”

“Katy. I’m not getting on a scooter with an Asian mans face all over it.”

“Ah. Then you’re walking?” Joy just groaned. I hate this. 

Arriving at the date was also unique. Wendy was gently dropped off. A kiss on either cheek from her best friends. And a fist bump as a send off. Joy arrived ten minutes later. All Wendy heard was. 

“THERE ARE PEOPLEEEE!” All Wendy saw was two people on a scooter, a mans face all over, as they sped by. Joy screaming to heaven itself, Katy with a bright smile as she sped by. Completely missing the restaurant. The second time the duo passed they had run over a mans foot. At some point, Joy had just shown up walking. Wendy shot her a questioning look. 

“She saw a hotdog stand and left me to walk. I’m sorry I’m late.”

The only smooth sailing Joy had was the date itself. Where she made Wendy laugh at everything. Where she made Wendy’s face turn beet red. And then for reasons unknown to her, she got Wendy to hold her hand all the way to the cab, in the cab, and a kiss goodnight. 

From that moment on, they somehow both knew they’d be in it for the long haul. Even if, Joy has the worst luck ever. 

—————————

2 years later. 

“All I’m saying is. If you love her, you should push for her. It’s been 2 and a half years. You should move on with her. Despite what your mom might feel”. 

I stared at Katy. It’s like she doesn’t know me. Doesn’t know my family. What is wrong with this girl? 

“Katy. My mom will hate Wendy if I move out and move in with her.”

“Joy. I’ve seen relationships go down because one partner didn’t know how to put their foot down.”

I don’t want to lose Wendy. But, what will my parents do without me? I’ve never been away from them. A week ago, Wendy asked me to move in. At first I was so excited, so ready for this next step with the girl I love. But then, doubt set in. My mom, she’s only getting older and yeah, sure, my dads there. But he’s getting older too, who’s gonna take care of them when they get ill? And my dad isn’t much taller than my mom, who is gonna get the cafè bustello for them? Hmm? They won’t have their tall child to help them. 

I think Wendy saw my doubt, cause she did what she often does when she feels rejected. She closed in on herself. Quickly flying into a bunch of excuses, and saying she was just kidding.  And what key? No. That’s a toy key duh. To my heart lol. 

I felt bad. But then a week passed and she didn’t text me or call me and I didn’t text or call her. And now here we are in some relationship limbo and I’m scared. 

“Why don’t you ask her to move in with you? If you’re so worried about your parents.”

Hmm, that could work. “But. What if she doesn’t want to? Like, she has freedom with Seulgi and Irene. She doesn’t really have that at my house. And what if my parents say no?”

“You’re 28 year old Joy. You ever thought of maybe moving out?” I gasped. 

“And just abandon my family!”

“Joy, you make good money. You could always stay in the complex, but not the same apartment.”

I sat back in my seat. Thinking. Ay Dios. This is stressful. 

————————

“Bendicion mama”, I kissed my grandmother on the cheek. Settling down on her sofa while she finished mopping her floor. 

“Que Dios de bendiga Bebe”.

What if Wendy leaves me because I still live at home. What if she thinks I’m obsessed with my parents? What if she thinks I’m some loser? “Amorsita? Que pasa?”

I sighed. “Tengo miedo mama”.

“De que baby?”

“Wendy asked me to move in with her”.

My grandmothers face lit up. “Ay que bueno!”

What? No. Not good. Not freaking good. “No mama. I can’t.”

“Pero por que?”

“Because. I can’t leave Mami y papa”. 

“Baby. Your parents are no babies.”

“I know mama. But. I’m scared”.

“For what? You’re not moving away mamita. Just out.”

I found myself struggling to talk. My throat tight. “What If Wendy leaves me?”

“Do you love her?”

“Of course.”

“Does she love you?”

“Probably not if I don’t talk to her.”

“Why you no talk to her baby?”

“Because when she asked me to move in I got scared and she said she was playing around and then we didn’t talk since. I don’t want her to leave me mama”. I didn’t realize I was crying until my grandmother was cleaning my face and kissing my head. 

“Ay Mí Bebe. Come here.” And so I just cried. And cried. Scared of leaving my mom and dad. But even more scared of losing my girl. 

“No sè que hacer mama”, I wept. Just so unsure of everything. I’ve never been in a real relationship. I’ve never loved anyone outside of my family. I’m so scared. 

“Mira Mami. There comes a time Bebe, in everyone life, quando los bebes ir de la casa. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Nothing bad when you have to leave, nothing wrong with being with your love. When it’s time baby. It’s time”.

That night I drank with my grandmother. Tossing back shots of patron and talking about life. And somewhere along the night, I thought. Me and my grandmother, should visit my girlfriend. It seemed so right. It seemed logical. 

So, at midnight. My grandmother sat in her electric chair, with me in the basket. And we rode off too the subway. 

“Mama! Cuidado!” I yelled. My grandmother just narrowly missing a young couple on the sidewalk. 

“Ay. Ju complain too mach.”

I shook my head. Why is it so bright tonight. 

“Did ju see jor cussin emilio? His novia es como a whale!” 

A whale! 

“Wepa!”

The bumps in the sidewalk kept making the basket dig into my back. Eventually we found the elevator that would ease us into the subway. “Where she live?”

“Who? Emilio girlfriend?”

“No. No. Jor girlfriend”.

“Ahh. In manhattan.”

“Ohh. Que fancy”.

———————————

When we pulled up in the wheelchair to the apartment complex the door man stared at me. I was trying to get out of the basket, but my was really wedges and I just couldn’t find the right angle to get out. And my grandmother kept hitting my back, but that wasn’t helping and that lousy doorman just kept staring and it’s like what the hell. 

Chivalry is dead. 

Help a girl out man. 

When I finally got out, I told the doorman who I was hear for, and he said. 

“Ma’am. I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.”  

I stared at him confused. “What do. You mean!” Oh man. I’m a lot drunker than I thought. 

“Ma’am you are heavily intoxicated. I’m gonna have to to ask you to leave.” I looked down at his name tag. 

Which was hard, I tripped on my feet and suddenly he was right there in my face. “Whoa there Hermano! I don’t eat meat. If yah know what I’m saying”. 

“No ma’am. I do not know what you’re saying. Please vacate the premises.”

“Now you listen here”, I squinted. Does his name tag say David of satan? What the . Who names there kid Satan. “Savid! And what the hell kinda name is that anyway? My girlfriend is up there okay? And we’re going to get married. And first. We are going to move in together. But! You are in my way datan! And. Tell your mommy. Your name is stupid. And shame on her!” 

“Ma’am I’m going to have to call the authorities”.

“Joy. Joy!”

I turned to my grandmother before I could come up with a plan”.

“Listen. I’m going to make scene?”

“Huh?”

“Scene. I make scene!”

I just nodded unsure of what the hell that meant. Until, mama took her foldable cane and snapped into place like a goddamn light saber and charged (it goes pretty quick) her electric wheelchair at savid. “Kyaaaaa!!!!” was her battle cry while I ran to the elevator.

Gracias mama. 

When I got to Wendy’s floor I was a sweaty hyperventilating mess. I slammed her door like a bat out of hell and screamed for her like we were in the titanic and she was trying to leave me in the water when she knows the door holds both of us! 

“Wendy!” It was guttural. Like Rick when he yelled Carl. From the gut. Laced with that true love from the heart. “Wendy!” 

The first person to come out of Wendy’s door wasn’t Wendy at all, it was a shirtless Seulgi. Any other day and I’d have been like damn mamita. You draw those abs on everyday or does fighting crime just do that? But in this instance, all I saw was an opening. 

I came forward trying, keyword trying here, to push passed Seulgi. But her ninja training kicked in, and she pushed me back into the hallway, still smiling mind you. “Seulgi listen. I need to get inside”. 

“Why don’t you tell me what’s going on buddy huh? 

“Mmm I need Wendy”.

“I know buddy. But it’s nearly three in the morning and you’re screaming and you sound real drunk sweetie. Are you okay?”

I just kept slapping away Seulgi’s hands. I can’t see anything. “Stop! I need Wendy”. 

“Let’s just talk here bud.”

“Stop!”

“Joy. Joy stop I can’t let you in until you talk to me. Joy!”  I dropped to the floor trying to crawl between Seulgi’s  legs before she grabbed my calf’s and dragged me right back into the hallway. 

“Wendy!” I to my back trying to kick this stupid ninja Seulgi in her stupid ing face. But she got mad, and hit me in my face really hard. “Ow! Coño that hurt” to top it off, Seulgi must have thought. You know what would top this storm? If I planted my knee on Joy’s face and just kept it there. Like a living breathing knee warmer. “Gah! You!” I groaned. 

“Joy?”

“Oh Mí Amor. Hi”. My face was still being smooshed from Seulgi’s knee. 

“Oh my god baby. What are you doing?” She sounds loving. She has yet to push Seulgi off of me. I am literally breathing in the toxic fumes of people shoe tread. Dust particles and , that’s what in inhaling. 

“Mama said. To see you”. 

“Mama? Your grandmother?”

I tried to nod, but there’s a knee on my face. “She’s super drunk Wan. The door guy Austin called up. Her grandmother ran him over down stares.”

“Austin? No it’s savid”. 

“She came up here screaming and freaking out. She threw her body at the door.”

“Nu Uh!” I tried to yell, Seulgi just pushed her knee down further. “Agh! Stop it! Wendy I love you!” If I need to stay here, knee on my face and profess my love then damnit. It’s what I’m gonna do. “I was with mama. And I was sad. I love you. I want to live together. Don’t leave me please!” And with knee and all, I started crying on the floor. 

“Seulgi, I don’t think she’s gonna do anything. Can you get off? I just wanna talk to her. I’ll call you if she tries anything.” Boom. Attack dog off. I started getting up, flexing my jaw and talking . 

“Yeah! Get off sluggy! Woof woof doggy”.

“Baby stop. She literally kicked your and you’re going to talk ?”

“What? She didnt kick my señorita. I was pretending.”

“Yeah? Well you had us all fooled then. Please explain what’s going on.”

I took a deep breath. “I was taking shots with mama okay?”

“You were taking shots with your 60 year old grandmother what in the world?”

“Shh baby. Listen. And she said I should come

Here because every child has to leave the nest. And when you asked me to move in, I was scared. Because I love you but I don’t wanna hurt my mom and dad. But Katy said I could lose you. So I thought maybe You could move in with me, but, my family is too rowdy I want you to have freedom. So. I wanted to ask you. If we could look for an apartment. Together?”

“You got drunk with your grandmother. She attached my doorman. And you fought my swat officer door man just so you could tell me you loved me and if we could find a place together? Honey why didn’t you just call me?”

Huh. I didn’t think of that. “I love you Joy maribel Ruiz Garcia. And the thought of moving in with you, with our own little place sounds perfect baby. But please next time. Don’t assault my doorman with your hot wheels grandmother. Just call me”.

“What’s hotwheels?”

————————————

“Wait. Wait a goddamn minute. Does your grandmother have a liver from the gods? She was taking shots of patron with you! My grandmother just drinks tea. What the ?” I rolled my eyes at Katy. “Bro. your cousins can I get with your grandmother!”

“Thats disgusting Katy.”

“Whatever. So what are you going to do about your parents?”

I shrugged. “Next week, Wendy and I are going to take my parents out to dinner. And tell them we’re looking for a place. But. I actually need your help with something.”

“Sure. Shoot”.

“I need to get Seulgi and Irene alone. So I can asked them for a blessing.”

“A blessing?”

“Yeah”, I reached into my inner pocket, grabbing the tiny velvet box. “I’m gonna ask Wendy to marry me.” 

——————////————///————//————

Translations 

Que tè jode: off

Por favor: please

mijita: daughter. Baby girl

cabrón: actually means goat. But used as an insult, meaning . Or . 

Que Dios de bendiga: May god bless you 

Amorsita: my love (female) or my little love. Like baby girl. 

Que pasa: what’s wrong. 

Tengo miedo: I’m scared. 

De que: of what?

Ay que bueno: oh how good. 

Pero por que: but why

Ay Mí Bebe:

No sè que hacer mama:

Mira:

quando los bebes ir de la casa:

Cuidado: